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Difference Between Sex and Gender
Jul 4, 2007 22:12
  • BBQQ
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Do you aware the difference between sex and gender? Many English learners are confused about the two terms.

Well, firstly, let's share a joke: A woman applied for a job and got a interview chance.The following is the dialogue between the interviewer (I)and the woman(w):

I: Name ?
w: XXX
I: Age?
w: 23
I. Bachelor?( should be Bachelor's Degree)
W. Yes
I: Sex?
W: Yes, please

Here, the woman might be a little bit frivolous. However, there is a misunderstanding of the notion of sex and gender.

From the moment a baby is born,parents identify it as either female or male. This is what we called sex, which is fixed and biological; While gender is changing, culturally and socially constructed.

In other words, gender defines a person's role in society, and cultural values are attached to different sexes. For example, to bear children is women's sex role; while child rearing is women's gender role, which means society has formed the rule that it is women's responsibility to foster children.This is not determined by biological factors, but cultural and social factors.

Now, are you clear about the difference between the two terms ?
Jul 5, 2007 11:33
#1  
  • LIONPOWER
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BBQQ
Some sharing with you:-

I: Name ?
w: XXX
I: Age?
w: 23
I. Bachelor?
W. Yes sir Bachelor ( Unmarried)
I: Sex?
W: No Sir, never have sex.
Jul 5, 2007 20:01
#2  
  • YVONNE
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Very funny joke.
Jul 7, 2007 03:14
#3  
  • LIONPOWER
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Our Siva did not realize this.
Jul 7, 2007 19:29
#4  
  • GRIZ326
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>>>to bear children is women's sex role; while child rearing is women's gender role, which means society has formed the rule that it is women's responsibility to foster children.This is not determined by biological factors, but cultural and social factors.

I am not certain your analogy is correct BBQQ. Far fewer children would reach adulthood if raised by men (tongue in cheek) ;-)

I suspect a woman's genetic make-up provides her with a disposition better suited to raising children than the disposition of many, many men. If that is true, child-rearing is primarily a sexual role rather than a gender role.

Perhaps a woman's gender role is better described as washing the clothes, cleaning the house and cooking the food...and that gender role is rapidly disappearing in some parts of the world.
Jul 8, 2007 06:22
#5  
  • YEMMIE
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Hello all. I understand all that has been said on this, but I have a slightly different perspective. The two words have different shades of meaning that are dependent on the context in which they are used. On legal forms, sex and gender are interchangeable - they simply mean male or female. In some contexts sex means intercourse. As far as I know, gender never means intercourse. I agree that sex does not conjure up the notions of the "proper" roles of males and females in human society, while gender does. Of course, what the proper roles are today is quite a controversial issue. There are almost as many different opinions as there are people to express them. I do believe that, in general, most women are better equipped to properly socialize children, though this is not true in all cases, and I do believe the absence of a father figure in the home has a negative effect on children. But I don't think of cooking, cleaning, etc. as women's work, not do I think of yard work, home repairs, etc. as purely men's work. There is plently of room to share these tasks, and I believe that doing so helps to bring up capable, independent, productive citizens.
Jul 8, 2007 23:38
#6  
  • LIONPOWER
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Recently, we are using the word, " Sex" in place of gender. Government forms did not used the word Sex, rather gender. Now Govt. also adopt this word.
My assumption, we get English from UK and all over the the world had same culture, English from UK.
After computer revolution, recently we are getting English from USA and many daily use word we are changing with computer software. We are giving preference to the words used in computer software.
Jul 9, 2007 03:58
#7  
  • LEOPOLD219
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The difference between sex and gender is very subtle. In our daily life, the distinction is usually ignored.
Jul 9, 2007 10:01
#8  
  • JABAROOTOO
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I agree with Yinmie,

'Gender' and 'sex' are interchangable nouns for Male or Female and used in different contexts

And the word can 'sex' is also used as a verb.

Jul 9, 2007 20:13
#9  
  • MAY001
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So, which should be used formally when asking whether you are a male or female??
Jul 12, 2007 21:14
#10  
  • KATRINA
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Confused, the distinction is too subtle. Fortunately, in most cases, they are interchangeable.
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